karl@ficc.uu.net (karl lehenbauer) (04/18/89)
According to the April 17th issue of InfoWorld, Microport has filed Chapter 11. (So, despite their recent net protestations aside, the report of their death was not greatly exaggerated.) Other vendors are trying to grab their old customers. Bell Technologies is offering their $1490 complete-everything package to uPort customers for $595 (386 only). SCO has a 50% discount to those trading in other competing environments, but has done this since 1985. This applies to both 286 and 386 versions. Interactive said they'll offer a 75% discount to Microport users who convert to 386/ix, applies to end-users and resellers, and covers both the 286 and 386 versions. They are also honoring existing Microport service contracts to those who go to Interactive. -- -- uunet!ficc!karl "Contemptuous lights flashed across the computer's -- karl@ficc.uu.net console." -- Hitchhiker's Guide
bill@twwells.uucp (T. William Wells) (04/20/89)
In article <3904@ficc.uu.net> karl@ficc.uu.net (karl lehenbauer) writes:
: According to the April 17th issue of InfoWorld, Microport has filed
: Chapter 11.
:
: (So, despite their recent net protestations aside, the report of their death
: was not greatly exaggerated.)
I believe that you might be laboring under a misconception. Chapter 11
is filing for protection from creditors. It means that a company
doesn't have the money to pay its debts. It does not mean that they
are going out of business. Quite the contrary, it means that they want
to stay in business but can't make ends meet. (Otherwise they'd be
Chapter 7.)
In Chapter 11, you get a moratorium on paying your debts (and maybe
release from some of them) at the cost of losing your autonomy and
your ASSets. :-) After everyone has got their piece, you get to
continue with business.
According to what they told me at Microport two weeks ago, they
actually went Chapter 11 in the middle of March; but, surprise!, when
in late March I had a problem, I got customer support. (Though last
week, they did *not* call me back as promised. Grrrr.) So they are
still there, sort of.
With any luck, what will happen is that Microport will be bought by
some responsible people who will pay their debts and then put them
back in business, with their problems fixed.
We can hope.
---
Bill { uunet | novavax } !twwells!bill
(BTW, I'm may be looking for a new job sometime in the next few
months. If you know of a good one where I can be based in South
Florida do send me e-mail.)karl@ficc.uu.net (karl lehenbauer) (04/20/89)
In article <831@twwells.uucp>, bill@twwells.uucp (T. William Wells) writes: > I believe that you might be laboring under a misconception. Chapter 11 > is filing for protection from creditors. It means that a company > doesn't have the money to pay its debts. It does not mean that they > are going out of business. Quite the contrary, it means that they want > to stay in business but can't make ends meet. OK, my remarks were a bit flip. Nonetheless, a lot of companies that file Chapter 11 never make it out from therein. Further, what of Televideo's corporate sponsorship? Presumably Televideo pulled the plug -- at least it appears Microport has been left to fend for themselves. -- -- uunet!ficc!karl "Contemptuous lights flashed across the computer's -- karl@ficc.uu.net console." -- Hitchhiker's Guide
vandys@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Andrew Valencia(Seattle)) (04/21/89)
By the way, I ordered a copy from Microport a while back, and have yet to see it. Are they able to ship when under Chapter 11? If not, I'm going to yank the PO and try again elsewhere.... Andy Valencia ...!hplabs!hpisoa1!vandys
stever@tree.UUCP (Steve Rudek) (04/22/89)
In article <3904@ficc.uu.net>, karl@ficc.uu.net (karl lehenbauer) writes: > Interactive said they'll offer a 75% discount to Microport users who convert > to 386/ix, applies to end-users and resellers, and covers both the 286 and > 386 versions. They are also honoring existing Microport service contracts > to those who go to Interactive. This system runs Microport V/AT--I read an earlier posting from Interactive and got the impression it was only for 386 users. Are you sure they will allow 286 customers to trade up? Also: (1) is that a 75% discount on the full purchase price or a 75% credit for $$ spent on Microport 286? If the latter, do you suppose they'd give credit for all the $$ I've spent on Microport upgrades, etc. in pursuit of a working serial port driver? :-) (2) does this offer have an expiration date? (3) how traumatic is it to move from V/AT to Interactive's 386 UNIX?
keithb@reed.UUCP (Keith Brown) (04/22/89)
Microport is still shipping, as I just received my DOS Merge 1.1.1 (Jan.3'89)
release. (which I ordered and received in Nov'88, then returned for hardware
reasons, then re-ordered since my credit with uport would otherwise be useless).
I'm no longer a creditor of Microport (yay).
Of course, as shipped with /unix.merge, it PANICs the kernel whenever you shut
down the machine (I have a tapedrive and 2 Digiboards in the machine). Once it
took out the unix boottrack. Grrrr. I'll have to rebuild the kernel as soon
as I figure out how much of the ..merge/atconfig/... stuff I need to include in
/etc/atconfig... to get it to work.
-Keith
--
Keith Brown
UUCP: {decvax allegra ucbcad ucbvax hplabs}!tektronix!reed!keithb
BITNET: keith@reed.BITNET ARPA: keithb%reed.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
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